The NYPD has started tracking bicycle accidents. About 500 pedestrians wind up hospitalized each year after accidents with cyclists, a recent study shows.
The move is designed to help track the growing number of bike crashes, and tangles involving cyclists versus pedestrians. At the same time, the city continues plans to install 1,800 bike lane miles by 2030.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly now views bike accidents like any other traffic accident or crime and wants them analyzed for trends.
Whereas the NYPD used to fill out a short information card for bike-involved accidents like typical car accidents, the new rules dictate that cops complete a full accident report. This reporting process will likely allow the department to track bicycle accidents like typical car accidents.
Just last year, City Councilman Stephen Levin proposed a bill that would force police to send accident investigators to all bicycle-versus-car accidents that result in serious physical injuries, not just those in which someone was killed or is considered "likely to die."